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Case 4
Case 4
Jurisdiction USA
I. Legal Standard
[the] complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a
claim for relief that is plausible on its face. A claim has facial plausibility when the
plaintiff pleads factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference
that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.
Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). Thus, a «plaintiff must do better than putting a few
words on paper that, in the hands of an imaginative reader, might suggest that something has
happened to [him] that might be redressed by the law.» Swanson v. Citibank, N.A., 614 F.3d
400, 403 (7th Cir. 2010) (emphasis in original).
Jurisdiction, by contrast, implicates the court’s authority to entertain the case at all. A 3
complaint that is frivolous or wholly insubstantial does not invoke the district court’s subject-
matter jurisdiction. See Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Env’t, 523 U.S. 83, 89 (1998); In re
African-American Slave Descendants Litig., 471 F.3d 754, 757 (7th Cir. 2006). «A frivolous suit
does not engage the jurisdiction of the federal courts.» McCurdy v. Sheriff of Madison County,
128 F.3d 1144, 1145 (7th Cir. 1997).
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II. Complaint
III. Discussion
Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss both set forth Mr. Pohle’s frivolous litigation history and 5
characterize this lawsuit as another attempt to collaterally attack a state court judgment
entered against him in 2016. The Defendants make several contentions in support of
dismissal, including failure to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, res judicata,
expiration of the statute of limitations, and various immunities enjoyed by the Defendants.
The Court need not wade into these arguments, however, because Mr. Pohle’s Complaint
does not even contain enough detail to suggest a claim of any kind against any defendant. It
is entirely devoid of facts and Mr. Pohle’s bare assertions that he was harmed do not rise to
the level of suggesting that something has happened to him that might be redressed by the
law.1 Swanson, 614 F.3d at 403. The Complaint, therefore, fails to state a claim on which relief
can be granted and must be dismissed in its entirety.
Ordinarily, the Court would give a plaintiff an opportunity to show cause why this action 6
should not be dismissed or to amend his Complaint. See Frey v. E.P.A., 270 F.3d 1129, 1132
(7th Cir. 2001). However, such an opportunity is not necessary where the amendment would
be «futile or otherwise unwarranted.» Barry Aviation Inc. v. Land O’Lakes Mun. Airport
Comm’n, 377 F.3d 682, 687 (7th Cir. 2004). As discussed below, Mr. Pohle’s litigation history
suggests that he has no interest in advancing legitimate claims, based on his history of
frivolous litigation. Amendment thus would be futile and leave to do so would be entirely
unwarranted. Therefore, this dismissal shall be with prejudice.
As Defendants point out, Mr. Pohle has a long history of frivolous litigation. He brings his 7
actions in state court, but his federal defendants often remove the cases to this Court. To date,
there have been five such removed cases (including this one): Pohle et al. v. Mitchell et al.,
1
If Mr. Pohle had alleged facts the Court could understand to challenge a previous state court judgment, dismis-
sal might be proper under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine because this Court would lack jurisdiction. See Pohle v.
Pence, No. 21-3351 (7th Cir. July 25, 2022). He has not done so. And the Complaint, while perhaps incoherent,
does not allege facts that are outlandish, nonsensical, or frivolous – it alleges no facts at all. Dismissal for failure
to state a claim is therefore proper. Regardless of the reason for dismissal, the Court finds that remand would
be futile. See Id.
2
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V. Conclusion
For the reasons explained above, the Court GRANTS Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss Dkt. [8] 8
and Dkt. [11] and DISMISSES this case, in its entirety and as to all Defendants, with prejudice.
Plaintiff’s Motion On (sic) for a Hearing On: All Outstanding Motions, Dkt. [13] is DENIED as
moot.
SO ORDERED.